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October 2014
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NNCG Selects New Executive Director

NNCG is delighted to announce the selection of Paul Sturm as its new Executive Director. Paul began his new role on October 15, bringing a wealth of knowledge and more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit consulting and management. Most recently, he developed and facilitated a peer learning and coaching program for the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, which has trained 130 executives and board leaders during its first five years. He is an adjunct professor in the Nonprofit Management Program at Notre Dame of Maryland University and the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore. He also co-authored

The Nonprofit Organizational Culture Guide: Revealing the Hidden Truths that Impact Performance (Jossey-Bass, 2010), the first book about organizational culture in the nonprofit sector.

 

"Paul's experience, knowledge and passion stood out during the selection process. We believe he will help NNCG grow our work to elevate and support philanthropy across the United States," said NNCG Steering Committee Chair Kris Putnam-Walkerly.

 

Welcome Paul at paul.sturm@nncg.

NNCG Webinar Series 

Visualizing Evaluation Data for Grantmakers

November 19, 2014 - 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Easterm

 

Are you collecting or analyzing grantmaking data? Want to visualize the data through charts, graphs, and dashboards, but not sure where to start? In this webinar, we will discuss best practices, critical thinking skills, and design principles for creating data visualizations that serve as a decision support tool for grantmaking. You will learn about selecting appropriate chart types, direct labeling, emphasizing key findings with color, and telling your story through titles, subtitles, and annotations. Next, we will discuss strategies for sharing visualizations through slidedocs, handouts, videos, dashboards, social media channels, and other communications modes. From there, we will explore specific use cases for how data visualization can support evaluation and progress assessment activities, particularly in integrating grantee and grantmaker sources of data. The presenters will share their own experiences in working with clients, as well as share recommended tools for working with and driving analysis from data.

 

REGISTER TODAY
Members:  FREE
Non Members:  $35
NNCG Members in Action

NNCG highlights members' thought leadership - articles, presentations, innovations and other activities that advance philanthropic practice. Follow the links for more information.

 

Alexa Cortes Culwell, Managing Director of Philanthropy Futures, is offering a special discount to NNCG members for the Stanford Social Innovation Review upcoming Webinar Series titled Core Components for Driving Greater Impact. The series runs for one hour (11 am - 12 pm PST / 2 - 3 pm EST) on these consecutive Thursdays: Oct 30, November 6 and 13,  and will benefit anyone who wants a better understanding of the frameworks and strategies that help nonprofits become more performance-based and outcomes-driven, as well as the role philanthropy can play in building their capacity. The series features nonprofit leaders from across the country sharing from their own experiences and is moderated by NNCG Member Alexa Cortes Culwell. Click here for a more detailed overview.   

 

Elaine Gast Fawcett, of Four Winds Writing, is presenting a webinar on November 13, 2014 for the National Center for Family Philanthropy.  Avoiding Avoidance: Addressing and managing conflict will explore typical situations where families might find themselves falling into the avoidance trap, along with useful strategies for 'avoiding avoidance' and other related tips and tools for managing family conflict. Read more and register here.  

 

Thaler Pekar, of Thaler Pekar & Partners, offered insight into how oral history helps to build your narrative organization, in Who Cares About Your Foundation's History? The Riches of Oral History.

 

Lori McClung , President and co-founder of  Advocacy & Communication Solutions, LLC, spoke to nearly 100 early childhood professionals and volunteers on October 2, 2014 at the Smart Start Leadership Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina. Lori taught workshop attendees how - when you have limited time and capacity -  to effectively frame messages about early childhood in ways that increase public engagement. Participants left with new tools and practices to make powerful connections with their communities when telling the Smart Start story. Visit www.advocacyandcommunication.org to download tools that can help you flex your messaging muscle.

 

GMA Foundations' President, Mary Phillips leads a session on building successful board and staff relationships at Exponent Philanthropy's national conference in Washington DC on October 30th. Mary will draw upon real world examples to offer creative and practical approaches to nurturing healthy organizational environments. Mary also explored tensions and resolutions at the Leading By Example conference in Boston on October 23 as moderator of a panel discussion, "Across the Negotiating Table or Around it?"

 

Amy Segal Shorey, Principal of GMA Foundations, is joined by other key leaders who have had success addressing women and poverty in a panel discussion, "Women & Girls: Effective Approaches Addressing Women & Poverty," at Associated Grant Makers in Boston on November 10th.  Amy will also be speaking at Dreaming Big: Making the Case for Girls - a conference being held at Simmons College on November 14.

 

Dara Major, of Dara Major Philanthropy Consultingauthored a guest blog post for the Foundation Center's PhilanTopic blog, entitled,  Charting New Terrain with Foundation Maps.  In her blog, Dara explores the difference between "big data" and "good data" in the social sector, and how good data facilitates insight-making and true discovery for better decision-making.  Connecting these ideas to the Foundation Center's new Foundation Maps data visualization tool, Dara also describes some ways she makes use of good data in her own practice. NNCG was pleased to partner with the Foundation Center to offer members a preview of Foundation Maps Professional.

 

Join FMA's Founder and CEO, Hilda Polanco, and a distinguished panel of foundation and nonprofit staff on November 5th for an engaging and experience-based discussion about the common (and not-so-common) challenges inherent in growing and scaling nonprofit enterprises. Click here to RSVP and receive the link to watch and participate in the live video stream!  Or, if you happen to be in the Bay Area, be our guest in person!   Our panel will be moderated by Hilda Polanco and will feature these guests  Dara Rose, Senior Program Officer, The Wallace Foundation, Andrew Niklaus, Manager, Impact + Evaluation, Tipping Point Community, Sam Cobbs, Chief Executive Officer, First Place for Youth, and Lynsey Jeffries, Chief Executive Officer, Higher Achievement.

 

Betsey Brill, Founder & President of Strategic Philanthropy, Ltd. and Ken Nopar were quoted in the Wall Street Journal article "Talking Philanthropy With Millenials"    

 

Kris Putnam-Walkerly, President of Putnam Consulting Group, had an article published on the National Center for Family Philanthropy blog "Voices from the Field".  Small stone, big ripple: 12 strategies for spreading your small grant further explains how some of the most effective change starts with a small grant.

 

Tuti Scott, President of Imagine Philanthropy, has several recent and future speaking engagements.  On October 23rd, she gave the Keynote Address at the Boston Jewish Community Women's Fund Opening Event.  Also on October 23rd, Tuti facilitated a Women's Funding Network Webinar titled Deepening Donor Engagement: Shifting to a Culture of Partnership and Dialogue.

Tuti offered strategies to build partnerships, donor engagement examples and sample language that invites conversation about legacy and partnership.  And on November 14th, Tuti will speak at Dream Big: Making the Case for Girls, Focus on Middle Schoolers and Careers.  This conference brings together funders, policy makers, educators and girl-serving organizations to improve the lives and futures of girls.

NNCG Members Only Webpage

NNCG members can now easily access NNCG webinars archived on YouTube, discount codes and documents for managing your membership at NNCG's Members Only page.  Please contact Lori Jolliffe for information on how to access these great features. 

About NNCG

The National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers is dedicated to elevating, expanding and improving the field of philanthropy. It is the only organization that brings together high-quality consultants to support the work of grantmakers, and to advance quality and ethical standards among consultants to philanthropy. NNCG members represent experienced and carefully vetted practitioners and thought leaders in the philanthropic field. Learn more at NNCG.org.

National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers

a Tides Center Project 

P.O. Box 40272  

Cleveland, OH  44140   

Martha Johnston, Project Director

888.589.4489 toll-free phone

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